The Spirit of Cricket

An anthology of the best cricket writing, by acclaimed commentator and correspondent Christopher Martin-Jenkins.

Cricket has inspired more writing, in terms of both volume and quality, than any other sport. A romantic game of skill, patience and heroic deeds, cricket is also a tough duel between batsman and bowler, unique because the team battle is dependent on the sum of individual struggles.

Christopher Martin-Jenkins has written about cricket professionally for twenty-five years, and his personal collection includes well over a thousand cricket books. His journalism and Test Match Special commentaries have won him the respect of all cricket lovers.

This richly entertaining anthology conveys the sweep of cricket's evolution from W. G. Grace to Shane Warne, from the sport's origins in the Weald to the contemporary professional (and increasingly commercial) game. There are sections on 'A Boy's Game', 'England v Australia' and 'Champions and Characters', and contributions from such luminaries as C. L. R. James and Mike Brearley, Neville Cardus and E. W. Swanton, Stephen Fry and Edmund Blunden.